2012

MARKET VISIT REPORT

GAUHAR MUSHTAQ BHATTI

PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING
BBA 4

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?

Stock Keeping Units

Competitors

Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?

Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other Activities going on?

Distribution Process

1
Metro
IMT
University Road, Karachi
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
A complete aisle dedicated to tea products. Separate Stall of
Lipton at the aisles entrance which was opposite Coffee brands
like Nescafe. Another area where Lipton tea was placed was near
the check out counters. Similarly at the other end of the tea
aisle, Tapals stall was kept. Within the aisle where all tea variety
was available, 1/3rd was occupied by Lipton (black tea, green tea
etc). Lipton Yellow Label was placed at and below eye level.
Biscuits were placed exactly opposite the tea aisle.
I kg, 450 g and 379 g packs. Teabags available of 100, 300 and
600 pieces per pack.
Tapal danedar, Tapal family mixture, Tetley, Alokozay. Tapal also
had a separate stall like Lipton. It was opposite juices and other
similar beverages.
Mostly housewives.
Both Lipton and Tapal Danedar
Lipton because of its promotional activities. Had a separate caf
outside Metro. Lipton teabags and 1 kg bags are bought in huge
numbers by housewives and Office consumption. Danedar
because of its aroma and strong taste.
Since Metro became operational.
Bill boards of Lipton and Tapal at POP. Payments for such
promotional activities were done by companies themselves.
No
Yes, Mon o Salwa had a stall where it distributed free nuggets
etc to people for tasting. Ponds had a separate stall where
women were given free cream samples to try. Surf Excel had
posters and boards at the entrance, exit and banners hanging
after every 4 to 5 aisles.
Company trucks deliver goods. No third party involved.
Frequency of trucks bringing goods depends on orders.

LIPTON PRICES
379 g

450 g

1 kg

Rs. 243

Rs. 323

Rs. 620

TAPAL DANEDAR PRICES

2x200 g
Rs.235

4x95 g
Rs. 237

ALOKOZAY
100 teabags
Rs.210

25 tea bags
Rs. 55

100 pieces
(Tea bags)
Rs.254.25

300 pieces

600 pieces

Rs. 640

Rs. 1208

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?

Stock Keeping Units

Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities going on?
Distribution Process

2
Naheed Supermarket
LMT
Siraj ud Daulah Road, Bahadurabad
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
Separate stall of LIPTON only at entrance. Opposite it are racks
of artificial sugar. Tea kept on the basement floor. Lipton, Tapal
kept at eye level on the same shelf. Tetley, Alokozay kept way
below eye level on a lower shelf. Opposite the tea aisle are
powdered milk like Everyday etc.
250g, 450g I kg packs. Teabags of Lipton 100 pieces per bag and
50 pieces per bag. Green tea 25 teabags per pack.
Tapal danedar, Tapal family mixture,Brooke Bond Supreme(Only
a few packets). Tetley and Alokozay.
Housewives main type.
Tapal leading.
People admire its taste and colour.
Since quite some years. More than 5
No
Yes. Lipton had a small vending machine where Lipton tea was
available for Rs. 20.
No
Company Trucks deliver tea. Lipton on an average 25 to 30
cartons per week are ordered by Naheed.

LIPTON PRICES
1 kg
Rs. 640

450 g
Rs.310

250 g
Rs. 150

TAPAL DANEDAR PRICES

950 g
Rs. 560

200 g
Rs.125

100 g
Rs. 70

100 pieces
Rs.280

50 pieces
Rs. 140

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?
Stock Keeping Units
Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

3
Al Amin General Stores
HFS A
Gulistan-e-jauhar roundabout
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
Central shelf behind the counter
950g, 475g, 190g, 95g packs. Teabags of 100, 50 and 25 pieces
per pack.
Brooke Bond Supreme, Tapal danedar and Mixture and Tetley.
All kinds of customers.
Lipton.
People prefer it because of its taste and affordable price. Its
teabags are very popular and demand of these is highest.
Since past two to three years.
No
No
No
Distributor comes and delivers it. Middle man involved instead
of company trucks.

LIPTON PRICES
95 g
Rs.70

190 g
Rs.125

475 g
Rs. 310

950 g
Rs.620

475 g
Rs. 280

950 g
Rs.560

BROOKE BOND SUPREME

95 g
Rs. 57

190 g
Rs. 115

TAPAL DANEDAR
950 g
Rs. 530

200 g
Rs. 115

100 g
Rs.60

100 pieces
Rs.260

50 pieces
Rs. 130

25 pieces
Rs.65

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?

Stock Keeping Units

Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

4
Taimuriya Stores
HFS A
Near maskan roundabout.
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
Tea shelf near the entrance. A whole separate aisle for tea.
Lipton above and at eye level. Other brands below eye level, at
the lower shelfs.
1 kg, 950g, 475g, 190g, 95g packs. Teabags of 100, 50 and 25
pieces per pack.
Brooke Bond Supreme, Tapal danedar and Mixture and Tetley
and Alokozay.
Mostly housewives and teenagers.
Lipton
No particular reason.Perhaps because of its strategic placement
which catches customers eyes.
Since many months. About 8 to 10
Board of Lipton near the aisle.
No
No
Delivery van comes after every 15 days. They are responsible for
distributing.

LIPTON PRICES
95 g
Rs.70

190 g
Rs.125

TAPAL FAMILY MIXTURE

200 g
Rs.114

100 g
Rs.58

475 g
Rs. 310

950 g
Rs.600

1 kg
Rs. 620

100 pieces
Rs.260

50 pieces
Rs. 130

25 pieces
Rs.65

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?

Stock Keeping Units

Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

5
Eastern Medicos.
HFS A
Next to Toyota Showroom at Rashid Minhas Road.
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
Tea kept at the last aisle of the shop. Lipton, Tapal kept below
eye level whereas brands like Tetley, Savera, Gold Caf Green,
A1 Karak at eye and above eye level.
1 kg, 450 g, 190 g, teabags 100 and 50 pieces per pack.
Tapal, Tetley, Savera, Gold Caf Green.
All kinds of people. Women, Men, Teenagers etc.
Lipton.
No particular reason. Probably because of flavor and fragrance.
Quite some time. Past 2 to 3 years.
Board of Lipton.
Small board of Tapal and Lipton at the counter.
No
Distributer comes and gives products to the store.

LIPTON PRICES
1 kg
Rs. 620

TETLEY
190 g
Rs.115

450 g
Rs. 310

190 g
Rs.125

100 pieces
Rs.260

50 pieces
Rs. 130

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?

Stock Keeping Units

Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

6
As-salam Medicos.
HFS A
Near Johar Roundabout
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
Tea is kept in the central aisle of the shop. Lipton Tea has a
separate shelf. Supreme, Danedar, Tetley kept together in a shelf
next to Liptons. Biscuits kept opposite to the aisles with tea
products. All variety are kept at and below eye level.
1 kg, 450 g, 200 g. Teabags 100, 50 and 40 pieces per pack.
Tapal, Tetley, Danedar, Supreme.
All kinds of people. Women, Men, etc.
Lipton.
No particular reason. Probably because of flavor and fragrance.
Quite some time. Past many years.
No
Small board of Tapal and Lipton at the entrance.
No
Company trucks deliver to the shop

LIPTON PRICES

1 kg
Rs. 620

450 g
Rs. 310

200 g
Rs.135

TAPAL DANEDAR
950 g
Rs. 530

200 g
Rs. 115

100 g
Rs.60

100 pieces
Rs.260

40 pieces
Rs.150
(Special
Tinned packs)

50 pieces
Rs. 130

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?
Stock Keeping Units
Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

7
Boatsons Medical Store.
HFS B
Bahadurabad Chorangi
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
In the lowest shelf of the corner most aisle, not very clearly
visible upon entering. All tea variety kept under the eye level.
190 g , 380 g, 450 g, 475 g and teabags 100 pieces per packet.
Tapal and Tetley.
Mostly men.
Tapal Danedar (although Lipton spends relatively more for
promotion and advertisement)
Customers feel danedar stronger tea than Lipton. They also
prefer aroma of danedar as compared to Liptons.
Many months.
No
No
No
Company does not send its trucks, however distributors come
and deliver in a delivery van.

LIPTON PRICES
190 g
Rs.135

380 g
Rs.250

TAPAL DANEDAR
950 g
Rs. 530

200 g
Rs. 115

100 g
Rs.60

450 g
Rs.300

475 g
Rs. 310

100 teabags
Rs.260

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?
Stock Keeping Units
Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

8
Razaq Medical and General Store
HFS B
Near TV Station Bahadurabad
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
At the rack to the immediate left of the shops entrance. All tea
variety at and above eye level.
95 g, 450 g, 1 kg packs. Teabags in very small quantity. About 5
to 6 packets of 100 pieces per pack.
Brooke Bond Supreme, Tapal Danedar, Tetley.
All types of customers.
Tapal Family mixture most popular.
Women said they preferred it because it has a stronger taste and
flavor and good to serve guests.
Over past year.
No
Board of Danedar at the shops entrance.
No
Delivery van comes on an average fifteen to twenty days interval

LIPTON PRICES
95 g
Rs. 70

450 g
Rs.300

1 kg
Rs.600

TAPAL FAMILY MIXTURE

200 g
Rs.114

100 g
Rs.58

100 teabags
Rs.260

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?
Stock Keeping Units
Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?

Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

9
Bismillah Medicos
HFS B
Near TV Station Bahadurabad
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
At the right aisle immediately at entrance.
95 g, 190 g, 450 g, 475 g.
Tapal Danedar, Family Mixture, Tetley
Mostly housewives.
Tapal Family Mixture most popular
Women gave its strong color and taste as a reason for its
popularity. Also its relatively cheap price than lipton accounts for
its popularity. Another reason for Tapals popularity the
shopkeeper gave was that Tapal was available in satchet packs.
Quite a few years.
No
No
Tetley was giving a free colgate tube with its 425 g packet.
Delivery van comes to the shops based on stock levels and
demand.

LIPTON PRICES
95 g
Rs.70

190 g
Rs.125

450 g
Rs. 300

450 g
Rs. 300

200 g
Rs. 115

100 g
Rs.60

TAPAL DANEDAR
950 g
Rs. 530

400 g
Rs. 225

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?
Stock Keeping Units
Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

10
Shah-e- Madina General Store
HFS C
KDA Overseas Bungalows Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 16-A
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
On the shelf which is on the right side of the checkout counter.
200 g, 100 g, 450 g jar, teabags of 100 and 50 pieces per pack.
Tapal Danedar, Tetley, Brooke Bond Supreme.
Mostly men.
Tapal danedar most popular. Then Brooke Bond Supreme.
Both because of their cheap prices and flavor and strong color.
Since quite a few months.
No
No
No
Delivery van comes and distribution is done through middle men
instead of company sending its own trucks.

LIPTON PRICES
200 g
Rs.125

100 g
Rs.65

BROOKE BOND SUPREME

200 g
Rs. 115

100 g
Rs.60

450 g
Rs. 300

100 pieces
Rs.260

50 pieces
Rs. 130

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?
Stock Keeping Units
Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?

Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

11
Makkah Madina General Store
HFS C
KDA Overseas Bungalows Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 16-A
Lipton Yellow Label Tea
Yes
At the center shelf. At eye level of customers.
100 g, 200 g, 500 g, 1 kg teabags of 100 and 50 pieces per pack
Tapal Danedar, Tetley
All kinds of customers.
Tapal and Lipton equal popularity.
Shopkeeper thought people preferred Lipton because of its
flavour and Danedar because of its cheap prices as compared to
Lipton.
Past many years. More than five.
No
No
No
Mostly delivery vans although sometimes company trucks also
deliver tea.

LIPTON PRICES
200 g
Rs.125

100 g
Rs.65

500 g
Rs. 295

1 kg
Rs.590

100 pieces
Rs.260

200 g
Rs.115

400 g
Rs.225

1 kg
Rs.540

DANEDAR PRICES
Satchets
Rs.5

100 g
Rs.60

50 pieces
Rs. 130

Shop Number
Shop Name
Shop Type
Shop Location
Product Name
Is it available?
Product placement?

12
Hameed General Store
HFS C
Gulshan-e- Iqbal Block 7
Lipton Yellow Label tea
Yes
At the back of the shop. Not visible clearly to customers from the
shopkeeper counter.
95 g, 200 g, 475 g, I kg packs. No teabags
Tapal Danedar and Brooke Bond Supreme.
All types of customers.
Tapal Danedar preferred by people.
They like its strong colour and affordable price.
About 5 to 6 months.
No
No
No
Distributors come and deliver Tea on a monthly basis. Stock
inventory levels are usually kept high so that surge in demand
can be catered to.

Stock Keeping Units

Competitors
Customer Type
Most Running Brand
Why?
Since when?
Activities at point of purchase?
Activities at point of sale?
Any other activities?
Distribution Process

LIPTON PRICES
95 g
Rs. 65

200 g
Rs.125

475 g
Rs. 300

1 kg
Rs. 590

400 g
Rs. 235

450 g
Rs. 270

BROOKE BOND SUPREME

100 g
Rs. 50

200 g
Rs.115

TAPAL DANEDAR
Satchets
Rs.5

100 g
Rs.60

200 g
Rs.115

400 g
Rs.225

1 kg
Rs.540

1 kg
Rs. 530

WRITE UP

WRITE UP
The product I chose for my market visit report is Lipton yellow label tea. Tea is one of the most favorite
beverages of Pakistani people. It is a product which is liked by people from almost all walks of life .It is
consumed at breakfast, during lunch breaks and an ideal beverage to serve guests.
For my market visit report I paid a visit to a total of 12 outlets. Out of those, one was an IMT
(International Modern Trade), one was an LMT (Local Modern Trade), while the remaining ten were a
combination of four HFS (High Frequency Store) As, three HFS Bs and three HFS Cs.
The IMT that I visited was METRO, which is adjacent to Safari Park, Gulshan-e-Iqbal. It had the largest
size as compared to the HFS retail outlets and the LMT. And the reason for that is that it serves as both;
a wholesale and a retail store with a wide range of customers including shopkeepers, retailers, families
etc. As far as tea was concerned there was a whole aisle comprising of tea of various brands like Tapal,
Lipton, Alokozay etc. as opposed to HFS outlets which did not have separate aisles for tea alone but
placed tea along with other commodities like milk, biscuits, and other grocery items. Apart from this,
within the same brand there were a number of different tea varieties to choose from. Black tea, Green
tea, pink tea and a few other alternatives were kept in the shelves. This was something not observed in
the HFS stores which had only black tea or at most green tea available. Another thing that struck me was
that in the IMT, the aisle for tea was opposite to those of biscuits and cookies. This placement was very
strategic for complementary goods of tea. Apart from tea available at the aisles, there were two
separate stalls of both, Lipton and Tapal each located at opposite ends of the aisle and products were
clearly visible at eye level for customers. They both were the only brands which even had billboards
within the food items section. According to the staff there, Lipton and Tapal paid for these promotional
activities. At Metro I even saw a separate caf of Lipton where items like tea, biscuits, snacks etc were
being sold at affordable prices. Thus no marks for guessing that Lipton and Tapal were the leading
brands at the IMT. According to the staff, Liptons teabags were extremely popular whereas Tapals
Danedar brand were also among customers favorites.
Another difference that I was informed of by the METRO staff was of how products were supplied to it
which differed significantly from the way they were supplied at HFSs. Goods were delivered to it mainly
based on orders by officers responsible for inventory management. Once an order was placed, company
trucks delivered the required products. Whereas in HFS outlets I was told by about 98% shopkeepers
that delivery was done through vans which came after an interval of about average 15 days. Hence
distribution in HFS stores was done through middle man (distributors) whereas in IMT it was done
directly through company trucks.
Furthermore in METRO I noticed that tea was available in bulk form. Since people shopped there
monthly or so hence there were no sachets or small tea packs available like in HFS stores. Tea bags were
also sold in 600 pieces pack which was found no where else, neither in LMT nor in the HFS shops. Plus
there were some significant price differences amongst all three categories. METRO prices were a bit
higher than those of HFS stores but lower than that of the LMT I visited i.e. Naheed SuperMarket. A few
varieties like Lipton 100 teabags pack in METRO were being sold at discounted prices which made them

almost equal to HFS tea prices. However such discounts were only temporary and generally tea prices
at the IMT were bit higher than tea prices at HFS stores. That was what I observed about the IMT and
how it contrasted with the HFS and somewhat with the LMT.
The LMT I chose for my report was Naheed Supermarket located at Bahadurabad. Its size was smaller as
compared to METRO which was huge and extremely spacious. However it was significantly larger than
all the HFS stores. Naheed comprised of 3 different floors and tea was kept at the lowest one. It was
kept amongst products like milk, desserts, biscuit, artificial sugar products, etc. opposite to the tea racks
was a rack consisting of powdered milk like Everyday, Nido, Milkpak etc. Hence it can be seen that tea
and its complementary products were kept very suitably and within reach. As far as supply is concerned,
the retailer informed me that owner places orders of tea products on a weekly basis. About 25 to 30
cartons were ordered per week through company trucks directly. The retailer also said that the owner
did not build up too much inventory because of expiry date issues and likely changes in demand of tea
brands.
As far as SKUs are concerned, Naheed had several different packs like teabags of 100 and 50 pieces as
well as 190 g, 250 g, 450 g and 1 kg packs. The prices however, were higher in Naheed as compared to
those in Metro and the HFS stores. The likely reason for this might be the lavish ambiance of Naheed
with Air conditioning at all floors and being located in an posh locality like Bahadurabad , opposed to
that of IMT and the HFS.
Talking about preferences of tea in the LMT, a majority of people (both customers and shopkeepers)
greatly showed a liking for Lipton tea. The reason they gave was its great flavor and aroma. Despite
being relatively expensive as compared to Tapal, Brooke Bond, Tetley etc, I was told that Lipton is the
most running brand at Naheed. Perhaps another reason of its popularity was that immediately at the
entrance, there was a separate rack consisting of Lipton tea only which caught every ones eyes
instantly. Hence this accounts for greater sales of Lipton at Naheed.
Lastly I visited the HFS outlets. I differentiated amongst HFS As, Bs, Cs on the basis of their sales, size,
product variety, location and customer frequency. I visited four HFS As, three HFS Bs and three HFS Cs.
Generally speaking, the HFS stores were all small as compared to the IMT and LMT. They did not have
separate aisles or so for tea and a few of them (HFS As) had small posters etc at point of sales as their
promotional activities for which company paid. Another difference was that in all these HFS outlets,
distribution was done through middle men rather than company trucks delivering tea.
As far as tea preference is concerned, all the HFS B and C store retailers said that Tapal Tea was the most
running brand and the reason why customers preferred it was because of its strong flavor and fragrance.
However, Tapal was also the most running brand in these stores because it was relatively cheaper as
compared to Lipton. And since these stores catered mostly to people with average and low level
incomes hence Tapal was the more running brand unlike Naheed which has a huge majority of people
coming from upper and elite class. In the HFS As there was a mixed trend of customers liking Lipton and
Tapal.

As far as SKUs are concerned, these outlets had a variety of those such as sachet packs, 95 g, 200 g, 450
g, 1 kg and teabags etc. Since customers also bought goods on a daily basis from these HFS stores, these
SKUs were appropriate.
Moreover, the size of HFS As was larger followed by that of HFS B stores and the smallest were HFS Cs.
Goods were kept very close together and tea was kept with other commodities like Masala, Milk,
Biscuits, and Chips etc. Very less posters and other advertisement efforts were seen in these HFS stores
as compared to promotional activities in IMT and LMT.
Hence the above mentioned observations and differences I noticed during my market visit report to
various outlets and retail stores.